Domestic Abuse Cases Have Increased During Lockdown. Is Anyone Listening?

Domestic violence cases are reportedly on the rise amid the nation-wide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. The National Commission for Women (NCW) received 58 complaints of domestic violence just between March 23 and March 30.

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This figure is also just of those women who reported this through emails. The actual numbers, including those complaints coming via post, or those cases which aren’t even reported, are probably much higher. Since many survivors cannot even write letters due to the irregularity of postal service during the lockdown, it’s hard to gauge how much domestic violence has risen, Meanwhile the state continues to neglect the issue as trivial. For many women stuck indoors with abusers, this lockdown period is not only dangerous, but could spell doom.

As domestic violence reports rose in France during the lockdown, the French government put survivors up in hotels, so that they could self-isolate without having to cohabitate with their abusers. But, we need to understand that France is a first world country where the percentage of women with access to cell phones and information about their own rights is higher than in a country like India. This means they could reach out to officials and file complaints. That’s hardly something most Indian women experiencing this can do. So, those who experience such trauma in India need even more help and that can only happen through government intervention.

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According to activist Kavita Krishnan who is the secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association, a warning about the lockdown would have given women in such situations more time to relocate to a safer place.

Opening up about abuse isn’t something which even happens normally, let alone during a pandemic

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We don’t talk about the dark side of family life very openly in Indian society even during normal circumstances, so during the ongoing lockdown due to a pandemic, the focus on such subjects is even lesser in the media. To make matters worse, survivors feel asking for help is pointless because nobody is listening and because they’re stuck inside an abusive home.

Image source: YouTube

So, despite the fact that NCW head Rekha Sharma urged women to report their cases to their respective state’s commissions and police stations, the question remains, how will they do so?

We say this, because according to a PTI report, one of the complainants was the father of a survivor who alleged his daughter wasn’t even being given food during the lockdown by his son-in-law. How are women without any recourse going to step forth in such a situation?

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